Dehradun authorities imposed prohibitory orders across the Selaqui and SIDCUL industrial areas on Sunday after a labour protest over wages and overtime payments escalated into violence, prompting police action, arrests and tighter surveillance across one of Uttarakhand’s key manufacturing belts.
Additional District Magistrate Krishna Kumar Mishra issued the order under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita on the directions of District Magistrate Savin Bansal. The measure took immediate effect and will remain in force until further orders, giving the administration wider powers to restrict gatherings, processions and activities considered likely to disturb public order.
The restrictions bar assemblies of five or more people in public places, the carrying of weapons, sticks, rods, swords or other objects that could be used to cause injury, and the collection or storage of stones, bricks and similar material. Public meetings, rallies, sloganeering, demonstrations and processions now require prior permission. The use of loudspeakers in public spaces has also been restricted, while convoys involving buses, tractor-trolleys and other vehicles have been brought under the order.
The immediate trigger was unrest among workers from several industrial units in Selaqui, where employees had been demanding higher wages and payment for overtime. The protest disrupted road movement and led to allegations of stone-pelting at police personnel and factory premises. Police later registered a first information report against 500 to 600 unidentified people, including labourers, social media influencers and local political figures accused of helping mobilise or inflame the crowd.
Police on Sunday arrested 10 people for allegedly provoking workers, obstructing employees from reporting for duty and participating in violence linked to the agitation. Senior police officials said the accused were living or working in the Selaqui area and that efforts were continuing to identify others involved in the clashes. A flag march was also carried out with paramilitary support to restore confidence among workers, factory owners and residents.
The dispute has exposed tensions within the industrial workforce over wages, overtime compensation and working conditions. Workers had reportedly demanded that monthly wages be raised to Rs 20,000, while labour officials said no government notification had authorised such an increase. State Labour Commissioner Prakash Chandra Dumka said the statutory minimum wage in Uttarakhand stood at Rs 13,018 for non-engineering workers and Rs 13,800 for engineering workers, and urged employees to raise grievances through the labour department rather than street mobilisation.
Officials believe misinformation circulated through social media and local networks may have helped intensify the agitation. The administration said some elements were trying to provoke workers and warned that any violation of the prohibitory order would invite punitive action. Damage to public property will also be dealt with under relevant legal provisions.
The Selaqui-SIDCUL belt is a significant employment hub for Dehradun district, hosting manufacturing, packaging, pharmaceutical, engineering and allied units that depend heavily on migrant and contract labour. Industrial relations in such clusters are often shaped by wage pressure, irregular overtime practices, contractor-led employment and limited worker access to formal dispute-resolution mechanisms. Even when grievances are genuine, sudden mobilisation can quickly disrupt production and transport links in densely packed industrial zones.
Factory managements are expected to face closer scrutiny from labour officials over wage compliance and overtime practices, especially if workers submit formal complaints. At the same time, the administration’s immediate priority is to prevent further escalation and keep production units operational. Officials have appealed to labour unions, workers and industrial establishments to maintain peace and avoid unverified claims on wage revisions.
